It’s March, so it’s tournament time! The 4-5 matchup here in DC is Junk on Junk, Midrange vs. Reanimator. Whose cuisine will reign supreme?
Game 1
Jon had the play and used it to, “shock myself,” into Avacyn’s Pilgrim. Ted played a dual, while Jon continued the aggro draw with Centaur+Healer. Mulch garnered Forest and buried an Angel+of+Serenity for Ted, who passed back. Centaur drew blood, and then Jon played a shock land untapped and passed. Another Mulch got two lands this time and buried an Angel of the Restoration variety, then played Avacyn’s Pilgrim. Jon also decided to play Angel during the end step.
Jon's the Lord of the Junk!
Jon swung in with the three-power after Tragic+Slip took out the 1/1 to drop Ted to 10. Centaur+Healer brought him back up a bit, and Jon traded off Healers in combat (dealing three with Angel) Thragtusk also entered play for Jon… but so did it for Ted. The long slow grind looked to have set in. Thragtusks traded, Ted fell to 12, and both players got Farseek second main from Jon was also followed by Loxodon+Smiter.
Centaur+Healer number two (three of the game) brought Ted up to 15, and Arbor+Elf also joined in the fun. In swung the team for Jon: 3/3, 3/4 flier, and 4/4. Ted double blocked the Elephant Soldier and took six, killing Centaur+Healer. Life totals sat at 9 for Ted and 27 for Jon.Tragic Slip then made Arbor+Elf get -13/-13 until end of turn. Ted simply drew and passed.
Sorin%2C+Lord+of+Innistrad made an appearance away from his frienemy Tibalt%2C+the+Fiend-Blooded here, making an Emblem and granting an Orcish Orliflamme boost to his team. The now 4/4 Restoration+Angel dropped Ted to 5, then Ted flashed in an Angel of his own in the end step. Beast token attempted to kill off the Orzhov colored ‘Walker, but Avacyn’s Pilgrim jumped under the tires. After that, he only added another land before passing.
Jon attacked with 4/4 and traded with a Vault of the Archangel’d Angel from Ted, and the 4/3 Beast made it through. Jon also made a Vampire. Mulch dug up Craterhoof+Behemoth but no lands for Ted, who then could only pass. When Abrupt+Decay took out the last remaining blocker, Ted scooped.
Ted's fighting for his Rites to party!
Jon 1, Ted 0.
“You know the questionnaire where they asked how to beat Junk Reanimator? I said, ‘hope my opponents get bad Mulches.’”
“Yeah, no Unburial+Rites is rough.”
Game 2
Ted led with Overgrown+Tomb, while Jon led once again by, “shock myself,” and Avacyn’s Pilgrim. The Pilgrim died to Abrupt+Decay, and Jon followed with Farseek turn two. Grisly+Salvage snagged Woodland+Cemetery and put some spicy stuff in Ted’s bin, namely Acidic+Slime and Angel+of+Serenity. Deathrite+Shaman was Jon’s play, which died to Abrupt+Decay the next turn. Land number five allowed Jon to drop Sigarda%2C+Host+of+Herons.
Ted had no fifth land for himself, and that meant the 5/5 hexproof Powerpuff Girl brough Ted to 13. Thragtusk joined in post-combat, and when Ted had no fifth land yet again the writing was on the wall. Farseek and untapped shockland (with four mana up) meant that even though Mulch dug up some more lands that was that and Jon moved on to the morning’s semifinals.
Jon 2, Ted 0.
